“Everything flows, everything changes,” wrote the philosopher Heraclitus in the 5th century BC. He lived in the Bolshoi Maloisian city of Ephesus, which is now in Turkey, and then was closely woven into an ancient Greek culture.
The ruins of Ancient Ephesus are an open -air museum (on the map). It is located near the town of Selchuk, between the administrative center of the West of Turkey Izmir and the Kushadasy resort. Excursion groups from Istanbul and Antalya come to Ephesus, but it is most convenient to visit it to those who are resting in Marmaris or Bodrum.
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The legend of the emergence
According to Greek mythology, Ephesus arose during the reign of the Athenian King Codor. It happened like that. Once, the ruler of Athens invited his son Andrrole to him and gave him an order – to establish a new Great Greek city. At that time, the colonization of the coast of the Black, Aegean and Marble Seas was actively.
By tradition, before the campaign, the young man turned to the Delphic oracle. The prediction said that the city should be laid where fire, water and a wild boar would come down in one place. Androcle with a detachment went on a trip to the Aegean Sea.
The result of the expedition turned out to be deplorable, but on the way home the young heir saw a fire on the very shore – the fishermen fried a catch. Suddenly, a spark from the fire fell into the bushes, and a boor ran out of there. Andrrole recognized the sign and built a new settlement at the site of the fishermen parking. The young man named him in honor of his lover – the lords of the city of Amazons of Ephesus.
The history of the development of the hilt
Ephesus owes his prosperity to good natural and geographical conditions. Historians distinguish 5 periods of city development:
1) Docolonial period
Contrary to legend, the first settlement arose at this place during the Bronze Age about 3.5 thousand years ago. An ancient cemetery, fragments of ceramics and fragments of weapons were found.
2) Ionical period
In the X century, Athens citizens occupied a settlement and founded a colony. Thanks to the advantageous location, Ephesus quickly rich and developed. In the VI century BC, one of 7 wonders of the world was built in the city – the temple of Artemis. Such success did not go unnoticed. Several states competed for the right to possess the city: Greek cities, Lydia, Persia and the Empire of Seleucids.
3) Roman period
In 132 BC, Ephesus captured the Romans. They sharply inflated taxes, which caused the anger of local residents. The uprising followed, but the attempt to return independence failed.
Under the emperor Augustus, Ephesus was appointed the capital of the large Roman province of Asia. The city expanded, more than 220 thousand people lived in it. If you believe the historian Strabo, the Ephesus was inferior only to Rome at that time.
4) Byzantine period
In the III century, the goths were plundered by Ephesus. After the fall of the Roman Empire, the city went to Byzantium. During the reign of the emperors of Constantine and Justinian, a large construction began in Ephesus: they built baths, Basilica of St. John and repairing old buildings.
The city was badly damaged after the earthquake of 614. Over time, his harbor was brought from the river, and it became unsuitable for trading. A series of Arab robberies strengthened the decline of Ephesus. By the time the crusaders arrived in the place of the great city, there was a small village surrounded by ancient ruins.
5) Ottoman period
At the end of the XIV century, the surroundings of the Ephesus became part of the Ottoman Empire. The Turks did not restore the city and it was finally abandoned.
Ephesus Today: the temple of Artemis and other attractions
At the end of the 19th century, the British archaeologist John Wood decided to find the legendary temple of Artemis. After several years of search, his expedition discovered the remains of the foundation and fragments of several columns. One of them was restored and put in their former place.
The second famous attraction of Ancient Ephesus is the Celsus library. The two -tier facade, statues and sarcophages with the remains of Tiberius Julia Celsus – the Proconsul of the Roman province of Asia, have been preserved from it. The building was built by 135 and contained up to 12,000 scrolls. According to historical data, the Ephesian library was the second in the world in size after Alexandria.
During a walk in the archaeological zone, pay attention to the famous Ephesus amphitheater. He is older than other buildings of this type in Turkish cities. In ancient times, the amphitheater contained 25 thousand spectators. The Odeon Theater, built in 150, is also well preserved. He accommodated one and a half thousand spectators.
How to get to Ephesus
To see the hilt, take an excursion in one of the cities of Turkey, or get to the airport of Izmir. Flights from Ankara, Istanbul and Antalya fly there. In Izmir, sit on a train or bus to the city of Selchuk. It has pleasant mini-hotels where you can stop at night and prepare for a walk along the ruins of Ancient Ephesus. The museum city is open daily from 9 to 17 hours. The ticket cost is 20 lire (400 rubles), for children under 12 years old, the entrance is free.
On the trip, pay for the purchases of the OneTwotrip loyalty card, and up to 10% of the order on OneTwotrip, as well as up to 2% of any purchases paid by the card, will return to your account. And hToy to find a suitable hotel, use the Onetwotrip hotel search site.
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